Snatch the Poor from Disaster Now

Remember the words of Jesus, blessed are the poor in spirit....... Why do people call others poor and why do you call yourself poor. You are not poor. The problem is that you have not yet found the right opportunity that would explode your abilities and cause the world to experience your impact in rippling effects.

Firstly I will begin stating what poverty is.Poverty is general scarcity, or the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. It is a multifaceted concept, which includes social, economic, and political elements. Poverty may be defined as either absolute or relative.

Ways to know the poor?

A few of my reflections on the question, “Who are the poor?”

1. Most homeless people don’t sleep on the streets or bounce from shelter to shelter. Rather, they stay for a while at a family members house, then a friend’s place and on and on. This is called “functional homelessness,” or by the more familiar phrase “couch surfing”.
2. Poverty is not a personal choice or fault, but is instead reproduced because of political will. There is enough housing, healthcare/medicine and food for all. In Baltimore alone, there is a stock of over 40,000 abandoned homes. Compare that to the under-reported 5,000 person homeless population. Huh?
3. One person can make a difference. Your efforts DO matter, no matter the size, time or scope. I’m reminded of the children’s story about the starfish. A little girl and her grandfather are walking along the beach which is scattered with starfish. The little girl starts picking up starfish and throwing them back in the water. The grandfather quips, “No matter how many you throw back in, you can’t save them all.” The girl hesitates, looks at the starfish in her hand, and with a big smile on her face, says “well it matters to this one!” as she tosses the starfish into the ocean

Ways to help the POOR

Our responsibility is only to serve in the way in which we feel compelled. With that in mind, here are five things you can do to help the poor that really do help:

1.  Begin in the church and move from there. So, practically, this means a couple of things: service starts within our local congregations. “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” James wrote (James 2:15-16). If we a need is known in the church, we are actually obligated to meet it. Remember, the early church, motivated by their love of Christ and the grace God had shown them, lived an open-handed lifestyle, sharing all they had with one another (Acts 2:44-45).
   
2. Look for simple, practical ways to serve.Consider the options around you. Perhaps it’s volunteering with an after-school program in your community, a soup kitchen or clothing pantry (and if there isn’t one in your community, perhaps you could start one through your church). Maybe it’s just as simple as buying a coffee for the man on the street who is asking for change. There are more needs around you than you might realize. Ask God to give you eyes to see and a heart to serve.
3. Work with experts you can trust. There are many different organizations working to alleviate the suffering of the poor, both locally and globally. But not all organizations are created equal. Do your homework—read whatever information an organization has made available to you and review its finances to ensure the money entrusted to it is being stewarded well.
4. Pray and trust God for the results. Our responsibility is not to end poverty, but to minister to those who are suffering while we are here. The day is coming that Jesus will return; and on that day, He will wipe every tear from every eye. Sin, sadness, death… all of these will be gone.Poverty will be no more (Revelation 21:4). Therefore, do what you can, pray, and trust God for the results.